Samantha, That's a hard position for you to be in and I agree that the doctor was saying "let's hope for the best".

Not to get too psychological about this, but I suspect that if your mother heard she was cancer free from that statement it's because that's what she really needs to hear right now. You don't know that shes NOT cancer free either--that was the doctor's point--so I'm not sure you need to say anything right now.

It wouldn't surprise me if, when it comes time for a PET, your mother gets more anxious and less sure she's cancer free--most of us do. If it turns out they didn't get all the cancer, this will be crushing news to her no matter how anxious she has been before, I suspect. For now, if she wants to believe she's cancer free and put the worries out of her mind for a while, I'd say more power to her!

Nelie